The Disappearance of Shemika Cosey

Shemika Cosey disappeared at the age of 16 on December 29th, 2008. The teen girl lived with her mother in Berkeley, Missouri at the time of her disappearance. Days before she vanished, Shemika celebrated Christmas with her family. Since she was on a break from school, Shemika decided to spend the night of December 28th with her aunt and cousins at her aunt's house on Napier St. She was last seen at the house around 1:30am. Her aunt and cousins awoke the next morning around 8:30am to discover that Shemika was gone. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Police were called shortly after Shemika's family noticed that she was missing. When the police showed up at her aunt's house, they reportedly did not find any signs of a break-in--but they did notice that there was a door left unlocked. Police quickly came to the belief that Shemika left on her own accord--and as a result, they reportedly did not search for her. Shemika's mother has acknowledged that it is likely that Shemika did leave the house voluntarily--but she believes that she intended to return. Shemika left behind her overnight bag and many other personal belongings. Her family members do not believe that she would voluntarily leave home and drop out-of-touch. 

Before Shemika's disappearance, her mother learned that Shemika had been using a fake I.D. get into local nightclubs. It is possible that Shemika left her aunt's house that evening to go to a club, but her family believes she intended to return to her aunt's house before anyone noticed she was gone. Still, police labeled Shemika as a runaway, and her case maintains that label today. 

Years later, Shemika's mother was packing up some belongings when she stumbled upon a notebook that Shemika had used to pass notes with a friend at school. In one of the notes, Shemika wrote about a boyfriend she thought might have gotten her pregnant. She also indicated that her relationship with said boyfriend had turned sour. In an entry dated just months before her disappearance, Shemika wrote, "I can't allow him to feel like he got power over me." Shemika's mother turned the notebook over to police, and the boyfriend was subsequently interviewed--but no reported leads or clues were found. 

Shemika remains missing today. Her family fears she may have fallen victim to trafficking. If you have any information that could lead to Shemika's whereabouts, please call (314) 400-3847 to submit an anonymous tip. 

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[Missing Person Cold Cases Classified as Runaways Vol. II]

The Murder of Jeannie Quinn

Jeannie Quinn was only 20 years old when she was brutally murdered in April 2018. Jeannie lived in Levelland, Texas at the time of her death. Her family members reported her on missing on April 15th, 2018. Two days later, Jeannie's body was found hanging in a wooded area in Abilene, Texas. She had white bags tied to her hands and hard wire around her neck. Investigators labeled her death as homicide and staged hanging. 

Ricky Don Henderson has been named as a suspect in Jeannie's case. Ricky, who was 37 years older than Jeannie, was reportedly Jeannie's boyfriend. He was also the last person known to have seen her before her disappearance. Both Jeannie's family members and authorities believe it is very likely that Ricky killed Jeannie, but he has still not been charged with anything related to her death. However, investigators were able to link Ricky to an unrelated drug charge from 2016. Investigators decided to pursue this case and subsequently charged Ricky with distributing controlled substances to a minor. He pleaded guilty to those charges in December 2019 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Ricky was also linked to another drug case in Hockley County from 2007. He was sentenced to 25 years on those charges.

Ricky Don Henderson

Although Ricky remains behind bars, Jeannie's family members are still hoping that he will one day face charges for Jeannie's murder. It appears that Jeannie is not the first significant other that Ricky abused. His ex-wife, Stephanie Henderson, vanished in Hockley County back in 1993--and she remains missing today. Ricky remains the only person of interest in that case as well. District Attorney Angela Overman has described Ricky as a "continuing threat to society" and hopes that the suspicions against him will be taken into consideration when he is up for parole.

Meanwhile, Jeannie's family members continue to fight for justice in her case. In fact, Jeannie's uncle John Quinn went to visit Ricky in prison during February 2019. Ricky agreed to speak with him, and the two met for 30 minutes. John was unable to disclose the details of their talk, but afterwards he told reporters that he felt they were one step closer to gaining justice for Jeannie. Still, a significant period of time has passed since their visit and no charges have been pursued.

Investigators are hoping to gain more information that could potentially lead to murder charges in Jeannie's case. There is a $12,500 reward in place for anyone with information that could help solve her murder. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please call 806-894-3126.

The Disappearance of Rashell Hammond

Rashell Hammond has been missing since August 15th, 2019. The 30 year-old woman was living with her mother in Mosca, Colorado at the time of her disappearance. Rashell left her home on foot the day she vanished and never returned home. She left without her cell phone, medication, or any form of identification. Rashell has never been seen or heard from again. 

Rashell's case is one of many missing persons cases with a lack of available information. There are very few reports about her disappearance in the media. Certain sources indicate that Rashell may now be living homeless, but this has never been confirmed. Rashell's mother has been actively posting about Rashell's disappearance on Facebook, but it appears that very few leads or clues have surfaced. 

In June 2020, Rashell's mother posted that she received a message from someone claiming to be Rashell's kidnappers with an image of her being held hostage. However, it was quickly determined that someone had photoshopped Rashell's face into the photo. Though it appears that this message was a cruel hoax, the possibility that Rashell might have been kidnapped has not been ruled out.

The photoshopped picture of Rashell & the original image

Rashell remains missing today. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please call 719-589-4111 to submit an anonymous tip. 

The Disappearance and Death of Ethan Kazmerzak

Ethan Kazmerzak was only 22 years old when he vanished during the early morning hours of September 15th, 2013. He was last seen in Hampton, Iowa. On the evening of September 14th, Ethan was seen at a few different local pubs in the Hampton area. He later went to a party at a gravel pit pond located behind a house on 190th Street. Around 12:15am, Ethan called his mother and told her that he was on his way home. He never made it there, and was never seen or heard from again.

Ethan's vehicle vanished with him. Due to this, many theorized that Ethan might have driven his car into a body of water located in the rural area near the party. A pond near Olive Avenue was searched just days after Ethan's disappearance, but nothing was found. Divers returned to that same pond in November 2013 and still did not spot any evidence. Eventually, investigators began to separate from the that theory. In fact, during September 2019, reporters asked Hampton police Chief Bob Schaefer what he thought about the theory that Ethan had driven into water--to which he replied, "Based on what I know of that night, I don't think so."

Throughout the investigation into Ethan's disappearance, detectives chased many leads and conducted many interviews. Still, no trace of Ethan was found. Then, in October 2020, scuba diver and YouTuber Jason Leisek went diving into the pond near Olive Avenue--where searches for Ethan had previously taken place. During his dive, Leisek spotted a vehicle. The car was located about 90 feet from the edge of the water, and only approximately 8 feet from the pond's surface. All the windows on the vehicle were rolled up, but the front windshield was missing. Once the car was removed from the water, investigators discovered human remains inside. Police later announced that those remains were that of Ethan Kazmerzak.

It's unclear why the vehicle was not spotted during the professional investigative searches that occurred years earlier. The car was found relatively close to the pond's surface and was reportedly very easy for Leisek to spot. Due to this, some have theorized that the vehicle somehow entered the pond at some point after those 2013 searches were conducted. This has not been confirmed and the investigation is still ongoing. 

Investigators are encouraging anyone with information about Ethan's disappearance and death to come forward. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please go here to submit an anonymous tip. 

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[List Series: Unsolved Party Mysteries Vol. II]

The Disappearance of Ashley Morris Mullis

 

Ashley Morris Mullis has been missing since September 22nd, 2013. The image below is the last known image of Ashley, who was 27 years-old at the time of her disappearance. The picture was taken at a family reunion in Royerton, Indiana. After Ashley left the reunion, she seemingly vanished without a trace. Her loved ones have never seen or her from her again. 

Ashley at her family reunion on Sept. 22nd, 2013.

A few days later, Ashley's parents began to worry when they were unable to get ahold of her. After asking around, they realized that nobody else in the family had heard from her either. Ashley's parents then went to her house, but it appeared she was not home. They left a note on the door, asking her to get in touch with them. Still, days continued to pass without any contact from Ashley. Her parents decided to return to her house. Once again, it appeared that nobody was home--but the note they had left on the door was missing. 

Ashley's parents then decided to contact Daniel York Sr.--an older married man with whom Ashley had been having an affair. In fact, Daniel had loaned Ashley the rental home she was living in, and he was the father of her newborn daughter--who was only two weeks old at the time of Ashley's disappearance. When Ashley's parents contacted Daniel, he told them that he had given Ashley $15000 so she could move to Virginia. He explained that, before leaving town, Ashley left their newborn daughter with him and his wife, and then dropped her two older sons off with their father/her estranged husband. Ashley's parents immediately thought Daniel's story was suspicious. Ashley had not made any indication that she wanted to move, and it was highly unusual for her to leave her children behind. After speaking with Daniel, Ashley's parents contacted police to report their daughter missing.

Ashley's loved ones felt that Daniel had more information about her disappearance than he had disclosed. Their suspicions about him intensified when they learned that he was a person of interest in the murder of 22 year-old Heather Musick, which had occurred just four years before Ashley's disappearance. Still, concerns about Daniel seemed to be brushed aside by police. Ashley's family members would later learn that the sheriff of their local police station was Daniel's cousin. 

Daniel eventually ended up moving to Florida. On September 15th, 2015--almost two years to the day after Ashley vanished--Daniel passed away. Ashley's family members believe that important information about Ashley's whereabouts was buried along with him. Ashley's daughter was left in the custody of Daniel's wife--although Ashley's parents are fighting to gain custody themselves. 

Ashley remains missing today. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please go here to submit an anonymous tip.

The Disappearance of Michael Fauntleroy Jr.

Michael Fauntleroy Jr. has been missing since February 24th, 2011. At the time of his disappearance, the 25 year-old lived in Trenton, New Jersey with his mother and young son. Michael was last seen in their East Trenton neighborhood on the evening he vanished. He sent his mother a text around midnight to tell her he was coming home. Despite this, Michael never made it home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Michael's family members immediately knew something was wrong when they were unable to get ahold of him. He reportedly had a strong relationship with his parents and siblings. Michael also left behind two children and a pregnant girlfriend, which was extremely uncharacteristic of him. The East Trenton neighborhood where Michael and his family lived had been a tight-knit community, but after he vanished his family members began to believe that certain people in the community were withholding information.

Once detectives began investigating, they learned that Michael was targeted. While detectives have not elaborated on how they came to this conclusion, they did mention that it was possible he was targeted due to a dispute over drug sales. Michael had a criminal record for selling drugs, but it was reportedly just a minor record. According to his family members, Michael was not deeply involved in selling drugs. However, based on the information that investigators were able to dig up, it appeared likely that Michael had met with foul play. 

Detectives best theory is that Michael might have been lured to Hart Avenue, which dead-ends at Assunpink Creek. Searches at and around the creek were conducted, but no sign of Michael was found. Other than this theory, investigators said that they have very little additional information to work with. Detectives have reportedly offered some people incentives to provide information about Michael's case--but nobody has taken that offer. 

Michael remains missing today. His case is still open. If you have any information that could lead to his whereabouts, please call (609) 278-8477 to submit an anonymous tip. 

The Disappearance of Julius TaDarius Jones

Julius 'TaDarius' Jones (26) has been missing since August 14th, 2011. He lived in Meridian, Mississippi at the time of his disappearance. TaDarius' loved ones last saw him on the evening he went missing. He ate dinner with his family, went out afterwards, then never returned home. TaDarius has never been seen or heard from again.

Two days after he was last seen, TaDarius' car was found parked near an abandoned home on 27th Street. There was no sign of TaDarius at the scene and no additional clues were found. Investigators have reportedly chased numerous leads over the years, but so far no suspects have been named and TaDarius still remains missing. His family members believe he met with foul play. There has been a lot of online speculation about specific people being involved. It appears said people have been interviewed by police, but no arrests have been made. 

On February 19th, 2019, TaDarius was declared legally dead. It appears that this declaration was made by law enforcement, as TaDarius's mother said she did not learn that her son had been declared dead until July 2022. This news was inevitably upsetting to TaDarius' family, and they are still hoping for answers.

The family still celebrates TaDarius' birthday each year. They believe that there are people in the area who know what happened, and they are hoping those individuals will come forward. TaDarius remains missing today.

If you have any information that could lead to TaDarius' whereabouts, please go here to submit an anonymous tip.

List Series: Vanished from School

School is a place where children are supposed to feel safe. However, American schools have often been the target of very unsafe situations. From shootings to sexual misconduct by teachers, the United States has no shortage of dangerous situations in their schools. Additionally, there are also numerous cases of children who have vanished from their schools. These cases involve children who were able to leave school without detection or supervision and were never seen or heard from again. Below is list of five such cases of children who vanished from school. All five of these individuals remain missing today.

Heather Lewis

Heather Lewis vanished after leaving her middle school in Ely, Nevada on April 4th, 2003. She was only 13 years-old at the time. Heather left school that day after getting suspended for getting caught with cigarettes. School officials sent her home and she left the building on foot. Heather never made it home that day and has never been seen or heard from again.

It's unclear why the school allowed Heather to leave school by herself rather than asking an adult to come pick her up. After she was reported missing, police actually classified her as a runaway. Heather was reportedly struggling in her relationship with her father and stepmother prior to her disappearance. Her family also believed the possibility that Heather ran away--but as time went on without any sign of her, they began to believe she had come to harm. 

Despite her runaway status, it does not appear that Heather actually planned to leave school early and actually run away that day. She left school because she was suspended--so unless she got caught with the cigarettes on purpose, it seems possible that Heather ran away on a whim. If the school had made sure that Heather was picked up by a trusted adult after getting suspended, there's a chance Heather may have never gone missing. Unfortunately, she still remains missing today. [read more]

Iyana Sawyer

Iyana Sawyer vanished from her high school in Jacksonville, Florida on December 19th, 2018. The 16 year-old girl left the building around lunchtime that day. Surveillance captured her exiting the building carrying two large bags. The footage shows that Iyana left the building without being detected by any of the school staff. She was never seen or heard from again.

Once police began investigating Iyana's disappearance, they quickly identified her uncle, 33 year-old Johnathan Quiles as a person of interest. Iyana was living with him prior to her disappearance, and they were reportedly engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship. In fact, Iyana was five months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, and it is believed that Johnathan was the father. In January 2019, he was arrested for sexual battery committed against yet another underage girl. While behind bars on those charges, investigators began to collect evidence against Johnathan in Iyana's case as well. Months later, Johnathan was indicted on murder charges for the death of both Iyana and her unborn child. 

At this time, prosecutors are pursuing the murder charges even though Iyana still remains missing. The last known images of her are from the surveillance footage from her school. Due to the fact that she was living with Johnathan, there's still a strong chance that Iyana would have come to harm regardless if she had left school early or not. Still, many schools their school require counselors and social workers to work with pregnant students. If the school staff had been aware or suspected that Iyana had gotten pregnant by statutory rape, they would have been required to call CPS. If CPS had intervened prior to Iyana's disappearance, there's a chance both she and her baby would be safe and unharmed today. [read more]

Nathaniel Holmes

Nathaniel Holmes vanished exactly one year before Iyana Sawyer, on December 19th, 2017. The 17 year-old boy was last seen last seen at his high school in Westminster, Colorado. Nathaniel had been dropped off at the school that morning by his mother, but he did not attend any of his classes.  Nathaniel instead went to the principal's office and asked to speak with a friend. The principal denied his request. Nathaniel left the building shortly thereafter. He called his mother and told her that he was going to a friend of his father's house and did not need to be picked up. Nathaniel has never been seen or heard from again.

Nathaniel was a new student at the school from which he vanished. He had only been attending the school for five weeks before his disappearance--but according to his father, he had already gotten in trouble quite a bit. The day before his disappearance, Nathaniel's father picked him up from school and suspected that he was on drugs. Since his father had to work that evening, Nathaniel was sent to his mother's house so he could be monitored. His mother dropped him off at school the following morning before he vanished.

Authorities believe Nathaniel left on his own accord. Still, Nathaniel's family members say that his disappearance is completely out of character. He left behind many personal items, including his iPad. It is unclear where Nathaniel was actually headed after he left his school. He remains missing today. [read more]

Elyssa Vasquez

Elyssa Vasquez was only 12 years-old when she vanished on January 28th, 2003. She was last seen at her middle school in Doraville, Georgia. Elyssa disappeared at some point during the school day and has never been seen or heard from again. 

It's unclear if anyone saw her leaving the school on the day of her disappearance. There is a lack of information available about how Elyssa actually left her school. It is unknown if she spoke to anyone at the school--such as a friend or classmate--about leaving school early or about running away. Still, police initially classified Elyssa as a runaway. She remained at that status for years before finally being reclassified as an endangered missing person.

Nowadays, schools are required to notify parents if their child does not show up to school without prior notification of their absence. It's unclear if a system like that existed at Elyssa's school in 2003, but there's a chance the search for her could have began earlier if that had been the case. 

Elyssa remains missing today and her family continues to search for answers. [read more]

Bianca Lebron

Bianca Lebron was only 10 years old when she vanished on November 7th, 2001. She was last seen in front of her elementary school in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was 8:30 in the morning and class was about to begin; however Bianca informed her friends and her teacher that she would not be actually attending class that day. She told them that instead, she was going shopping with her uncle. Bianca asked her friends if they wanted to join, but they declined. Shortly thereafter, an older model brown/tan van pulled up in front of their school. Bianca’s friends watched as she got inside the car and it drove off. Bianca has never been seen or heard from again.

It was not until Bianca's mother called the police at 8:30pm that evening that she learned that Bianca had never actually attended school that day.  Investigators then spoke to the friends who witnessed her getting into the van that morning. They told investigators that they were not worried when Bianca got into the van because they thought the driver was Bianca’s uncle. Her family members told investigators that Bianca does not have an uncle, and none of her relatives drive the car she was picked up in. At this point, it was clear that Bianca had been abducted. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male around 20 to 30 yrs old, 5"8 to 5"11 with an average build, black curly hair, long sideburns and a beard.

Over the years, a person of interest was identified--however he was eventually cleared of suspicion. Since then, there have been very few leads in Bianca's case. She remains missing today. The school from which Bianca disappeared enforced stricter attendance-taking policies after her abduction, and the teacher who allowed her to leave was suspended without leave. In 2008, the city reached a settlement to pay the Lebron family $750,000 after they filed a lawsuit claiming Bianca’s teacher let her leave without asking Bianca about the “uncle.” [read more]